Wild Australia
Meston’s Wild Australia Show 1892-1893

The Wild Australia Show banners are a historical photographic exhibition about a performing show that toured in 1892-1893 to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. It featured a choreographed troupe of 27 Aboriginal people recruited from the frontier in Queensland and the Northern Territory and an area north east of Tennant Creek. Conceived by controversial Queensland entrepreneur Archibald Meston, he had planned for the troupe to perform on the east coast, then to Europe and finally to Chicago for the 1893 World Fair. 

“It is hoped that an outcome of the travelling exhibition, will be the potential to engage the descendants of troupe members in the recovery of the history of their ancestors and through this to strengthen their connection to their history and heritage “ said Professor Memmott one of the key researchers of the exhibition from the University of Queensland who has long standing ties to Wumpurrarni families in Tennant.